2008 Romantic Times
10) Mass transit to and (especially) from RT - not an option (Thanks Daphne!)
9) Must take off Monday for a crash day after my next RT experience.
8) When a ballroom full of women start shopping for romance novels, they can, and will, blow the power supply.
7) Cell phones are a good alternative for flashlights (see above)
6) There actually is an overload point to "bringing home" books
5) Absolute Do Not - Bring ANY books (for reading) to RT! (see above)
a) No time to read.
b) It's a Book Convention - need I say more?
4) The Agenda became my best friend.
3) You know you are a true author fan when they ask you to help work - and you do so with a smile. Sometimes you are even given your own ray gun...
2) It is an absolute blast
1) and I want to return!
I had an amazing time at my First RT. It started on Tuesday when I helped some authors, and the fun didn't stop until Sunday. I really wish I'd had Monday to recoup. I couldn't believe the pile of books we received in the Goody Room, and that was only the beginning. I still have to count how many books I brought home.
Wed included the Intergalactic Bar & Grille (Great group of authors), The Wild Rose Press Spotlight (thrilled to meet so many people from TWRP), and the E-Book Expo. That was a great opportunity to meet so many authors.
Thursday is when the scheduling conflicts began. At one point, I was scheduled for 3 events at the same time. Some highlights include visiting with the Scamps, attending Helen Rosburg's Lightning & Thunder Luncheon (Thanks to Helen!), meeting up with Leigh Greenwood (the author of the first romance novel I ever read), and attending the Readers' Focus Group. The evening was spent at the Faery Ball - what amazing costumes! My thanks to the Faery Court for a wonderful evening.
Friday highlights included attending Jacquelyn Frank's morning mixer, where I met a nice group of ladies, the RT Awards Luncheon, the Safari & R&R Soiree. The evening ended with the Vampire Ball. Again - great costumes! (Thanks to Heather Graham & Helen A. Rosburg)
Each day, I also enjoyed slipping into Club RT, chatting with authors, publishers, etc. Nice opportunity to learn.
Saturday morning, a group of us had a planned breakfast - which was very nice. Then we headed to the Book Signing. I spent my whole time there, chatting, meeting authors, and even running into reader friends. Attended the SOS Mixer (got a picture with FABIO!!!) and Mr. Romance Competition (winner will be on a book). The evening ended with a relaxed visit with friends at the Dorchester Rock N Roll Party. Loved the Impalers!
By Sunday, I couldn't believe how tiring RT is, but still SO much fun. I finished packing and went to the Samhain Soyanara, then headed home.
And lastly, here are some tidbits of info I learned (and somewhat already knew) as a newbie...
1) Costume events
a. Costumes are NOT required.
b. Should you choose - there was (at least this year) a vendor that sold costumes/accessories
c. Simply wearing a dress or top and skirt/slacks was acceptable. I also saw some people in jeans.
d. Sat night party - people tended to be more casual.
2) Food
a. There is food throughout the event.
b. Several mixers and reader events offered refreshments for the attendees.
3) You never truly know who you are talking to.
a. I passed the test. When asked what I liked to read, I mentioned (among other genre) paranormal. When asked which authors, I said Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon. I happened to be speaking to members of Christine Feehan's family.
Hope to see you at a future RT!
Welcome
I truly enjoy sharing my love of reading. This site was started to allow me to share some of my favorite books. I hope that if you look around and find that you agree with some of my selections (see my reviews), that you will return and hopefully find new authors. I plan on having periodic "Recommended Reads" lists that will include books I recommend, as well as suggestions by visitors to this site. I will also keep you up-to-date on different upcoming events, special offers, etc.
As you look around, I'm still learning my way around HTML, etc. If you see any errors, typos, please e-mail me.